R3896-3 F-1 Engine Maintenance and Repair T.O. from 11 April 1969, last updated 9 May 1969

Propulsion Field Laboratory Mechanics Handbook

All three are in complete and excellent condition.

LeeU

These are the first TO's or the first manuals for the F-1's because these came from the actual test stand at Edwards AFB. All the change pages, etc. are in the TO's.

LeeU

LeeU

What would these books be worth if I was to sell them? Thanks.

LOR

The Mechanics Manual is selling for $98 dollars (Amazon) and I would say that the other volumes would be roughly the same price (if not a bit less).

I appreciate the beauty of the diagrams and how unique these documents are. However, in my humble opinion, some factors prevent them from being more valuable in monetary terms:

Not directly associated with astronauts or signed by one of them (the celebrity factor). Also, they are not flown items.

Not attractive enough to show in a home display (the wow factor) as these are utilitarian documents and not showpieces

They do not contain a narrative, but are a set of technical orders not meant for casual reading and usually hard to interpret without the appropriate context (I've reviewed the LEM tech orders and that was the issue I found with them).

They are primary historiographical sources, but I believe they are not enough to write the next "Stages to Saturn" as they do not comprise the entire story and can only work as a reference material to confirm witness' accounts or additional sources.

I base my above observations on my experience with CM manuals, LEM assembly manuals and TOs and various radar, communications, and QA manuals from the Apollo era.

I would suggest you consign them to an auction house to see if they can drive a higher price. By the way, I am in no way related to any auction house.

LeeU

Thanks, I doubt the small manual is on Amazon, it was written for Test Stand 2A at Edwards, thanks for the input.

LOR

This is the manual I am talking about. Hard to tell for sure, but looks similar.

LeeU

That does look like the same one, there is only about six pages that are for the Rocket Propulsion Lab at Edwards AFB in my book, bet they just add pages for specific sites.